The Biden administration will for the first time send controversial armor-piercing munitions containing depleted uranium to Ukraine, according to a document seen by Reuters and separately confirmed by two U.S. officials.

The use of depleted uranium munitions has been fiercely debated, with opponents like the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons saying there are dangerous health risks from ingesting or inhaling depleted uranium dust, including cancers and birth defects.

    • letsgocrazy@lemm.ee
      5016·
      1 year ago

      Being invaded is worse.

      The quickest way to save the most amount of lives is whatever gets rid rid of Russia the quickest.

      No question.

      Depleted Uranium is hardly dangerous.

      Another booby trapped mine with a grenade underneath gets placed by Russians every 4 minutes.

      Another Ukrainian citizen is tortured.

      And now there are reports of Ukrainian children being tortured.

      Bring on the napalm.

      • tryptaminev 🇵🇸 🇺🇦 🇪🇺@feddit.de
        139·
        1 year ago

        Depleted Uranium is dangerous for anyone exposed to it. It will be a persistant environmental pollutant that could render large areas unsuitable for agriculture. Downplaying the effects is stupid and dangerous.

        We need to talk about the effects and weigh the military benefit vs. the long term problems. Also for the military benefit you cannot take the shortcut of assuming no AP munitions to be used otherwise. Also the question is whether stronger AP abilities are needed, as Abrams should make quick work of T64s and probably T72s with normal AP rounds too.

        So we have to weigh a potentially marginal benefit with a significant long term health effect. I trust the Ukranian army and government to make that decision, but again the issues shouldn’t be downplayed. Because of downplaying and ignoring the issues with it there is thousands of American and British vets that suffer from diseases and birth defects in their children, struggling to get it recognised and properly compensated.

        • Gladaed@feddit.de
          95·
          1 year ago

          Depleted uranium is not much different from lead. Heavy metals are unhealthy. It is barely radioactive as it is made from the rather stable uranium isotopes. (Hence depleted)

          • Hamartiogonic
            51·
            1 year ago

            Uranium is pretty toxic compared to lead. LD50 is roughly 114 mg/kg vs. 4665 mg/kg depending on source. If you happen to get that dust inside your body, the radiation isn’t going to help you stay healthy either.

      • mycorrhiza they/them@lemmy.ml
        36·
        1 year ago

        the “quickest way to save the most amount of lives” is peace talks. Both armies are locked in a stalemate and the war is going nowhere.

        • okamiueru@lemmy.world
          22·
          1 year ago

          What is the point of peace talks with Russia? Promises and assurances by Russia have had no weight or effect. Which is why the war even happened. Also, Russia can end the war any day they want.

          • mycorrhiza they/them@lemmy.ml
            21·
            1 year ago

            Russia started the war in the first place because — whether you think the fear is reasonable or not — Russia has loudly proclaimed for decades that they view NATO encirclement as an existential threat, and Ukraine joining NATO would massively expand NATO presence on the Russian border, leaving basically only Belarus as a buffer. And if Ukraine took Crimea with them while joining NATO, Russia would lose access to their only deep warm-water port on the black sea, Sevastapol, a port that is economically significant to them.

            • Bluetreefrog@lemmy.worldEnglish
              32·
              1 year ago

              Maybe if Russia stopped invading their neighbors, then other neighbors wouldn’t feel the need to join NATO as protection from Russia.